Alliance, Love, and Treachery
by Dreamfantasy13
Summary: A mixture between Hawksong and Shattered Mirror. Larina Vida is chosen as the husband to Nikolas Ravena, she thinks everything is going wrong. Can she learn to trust her husband enough to stop the huge war that is soon to follow? R&R!
1. Life in a Nutshell

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that appears in any of the Amelia Atwater-Rhodes books. Any characters you do not recognize are mine.

Tears rolled down the frozen, perfect face of Adianna Vida, as she watched her daughters' body be consumed by hungry flames. She had thought that she had lost it all when her husband had died of a heart attack, only two weeks before her mother had been slain. Now, only two short years later, Adianna had lost two of her three daughters.

As the fire consumed Reline, her eldest daughter, and Vivara, her middle daughter, Adianna studied the small crowd. Only her nearest friends had come—a gathering of ten or so witches, including Caryn, who had been her support pillar recently, and Larina.

Larina Alanna Vida was the youngest and only daughter of the Vida line, now. She was seventeen, small, and extremely slender. Her face, always pale, was so white that it appeared to have never seen the sun. _Vampiric_, Adianna thought, her mind spitting the hated word.

Yet even as she thought the word, she knew it wasn't true. She had been raised to detest vampires, yes. No one could grow up as Dominique Vida's daughter and not hate vampires as naturally as breathing. Or so Adianna had thought.

When Adianna was young, her sister had been turned into a vampire. That reality, that her loving sister could become so cruel, such a thing of evil, had rocked the foundation of Adianna's world.

Adianna's eyes searched the crowd. There she was. Face as pale as Larina's, eyes blacker than empty night, was Sarah. Adianna hadn't seen her sister in over twenty years.

Adianna swallowed as the flames engulfed the remains of Reline and Vivara. It seemed only yesterday Adianna had held them in her arms, reading them stories. Only yesterday that Adianna had introduced them to the terrible world of unreality in which all witches lived. Only yesterday that Reline, Vivara, and Larina had raced through the garden, trampling all of Adianna's rose bushes. Only yesterday.

Adianna's eyes swam with tears, blurring the world. She could barely make out the fact that everyone was crying—even Sarah, the cold, unfeeling vampire. The only person in the entire assembly with dry cheeks was Larina.

Larina stood as a statue, even as the flames died, and only the glowing embers and pale gray ash remained. Stood as the guests left, bowing their heads in silent sorrow.

Adianna let Caryn lead her to the car—she knew that Larina had to be alone. Sarah had disappeared, but Adianna knew that she'd be at her house, waiting for Adianna to arrive.

LARINA:

Larina watched the car drive away, taking with it, her mother and. She swallowed hard, but the tears just wouldn't come. _Sometimes, it takes us a while for our shock to leave, and our tears to be free, _her mother had said, after her father's death, in answer to Larina. Larina vividly remembered being the only person she knew who didn't cry—her mother had assured her that she would, but as time passed, and everyone else healed, Larina's tears had remained, tucked away in some packet in her heart.

Damn it! Why couldn't she cry? Why couldn't she sob her heart out for Reline and Vivara? Why was she as cold and unmoving as stone? What was wrong with her?

Larina pulled a small vial, swinging from a delicate silver chain, from the inside of her black shirt. Uncorking the vial, she dipped it into the ashes, filling it completely with the soft ash and glowing embers. Larina tucked the vial away, and knelt on the ground.

She sat there for minutes, her head bowed, her body still. Finally, she stood up, bowed, and turned away from the still-glowing embers.

Larina fumbled with her car keys as she turned the ignition in her slick black car. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, her grief-stricken face split subtly into a small smile.

Her face was paler than a vampire before its first feed, and her eyes were huge against her face. Her eyes were violet, but a washed out color that was muted and slightly chilling. Her long, pale hair was wind-blown and wild, and, dressed in all black, her slim figure looked wraith-like.

Larina got the car going, and drove away, looking back at what was left of her sisters.

ADIANNA:

Adianna had known that Sarah would be at the house, waiting for her.

"Are you going to be all right?" Caryn asked, as Adianna let herself out of the car.

Adianna managed a tiny smile. "Yes, thank you." She waved good-bye to Caryn, and let herself into the house.

The house was dark, and, at first glance, empty, to human eyes. But Adianna could feel an aura of power humming, only feet away from where she stood.

Adianna flicked on the light, coming face to face with an extremely pale man with dark eyes and hair. A knife rested at his hip, and his open face told her immediately which twin he was—and made her immediately wary.

"What do you want?" Adianna asked, sharply, her body already moving into a position to fight.

"Touché, Adianna. After all these years, have you forgotten?" Christopher Ravena asked, mock hurt.

"No." Adianna said, stiffly.

Silence followed. "I'll leave you two to it, then," Christopher said casually, brushing past her. "I'll see you soon, Adianna."

Adianna didn't turn her back on him until he was out of her sight. Then she turned to face the other vampire, whose aura told of less violence than Christopher's, and whom she had not noticed before, distracted as she was by Christopher.

"Sarah."

She was just as she had been before changing, Adianna saw, with her long, pale hair, perfect complexion, and open face. The only difference was her eyes. Gone were the dancing, bright blue eyes, and, instead, black dead ones filled their spot.

"Why did you come back?" Adianna said, her voice tired, and unfriendly.

Sarah looked hurt. "They died," she said, as if it were the most natural explanation in the entire world.

"But they weren't your children, Sarah. You didn't come to Mother's funeral—why did you come to theirs?"

Sarah bit her lip. It was uncharacteristic of a vampire, but then, Adianna knew that Sarah was not the typical vampire.

"I had to come back." Sarah whispered.

"Why?" Adianna's voice shook; she was rapidly loosing her control. "Why didn't you come back sooner? Mother knew what happened. She called for you before she died. She called and called, for days. She spoke of nothing else but seeing her Sarah again. Why didn't you come?" With each word, Adianna's voice rose, and soon she was screaming. "Why, Sarah? How could you stay away, and let Mother die, without even saying good-bye? Was it too much to come by, even for a minute? Where you too wrapped up in Christopher that you couldn't come to your own mother's deathbed, or even funeral? Are you truly so cold?"

Sarah looked away.

The door slammed, and a figure stood, outlined in the doorway, her hair blowing in the wind.

LARINA:

Larina stood stock-still for barely a second, before taking in the entire situation. Her sharp violet eyes flicked from her mother to the vampire and back, knowing immediately who each was.

Larina took Adianna by the arm, and led her to sit down on the couch. Closing the door to the family round, she turned to the vampire.

"Just what do you think you are doing in my house?" The words were frigid and steely, a threat that was not a joke, or even exaggerated. If there was no answer, then the vampire would be dead, and they both knew it.

"I had to see her," the vampire said softly, tears filling her dead eyes. Her deep eyes caught Larina's, and Larina looked away—how she feared the eyes of the vampire!

Larina's face didn't soften. "Who are you." It wasn't a question—it was a demand.

"Sarah." The vampire took a breath. "Formerly Sarah Tigress Vida."

Larina took a step back, as though she had been slapped. So this was the witch who had caused her mother so much heartbreak.

"Why did you come back?" Her face softened, and the transformation was instant. Larina knew that the vampire could see her now for the scared, vulnerable, seventeen-year-old girl that she was.

"They died."

Larina didn't have to ask who. She knew. "How do you know about Reline and Vivara?"

"They came, often, to visit me. They talked of their mother, of you, and of the war against vampires."

"Why didn't they tell me?" Larina whispered, half to herself.

"They were going to. I can see now why they didn't. You really hate vampires, don't you."

Larina nodded. "They killed everyone I've ever loved. You even killed my mother—you took her soul as surely as if you had changed her yourself."

Again, Sarah looked hurt—and taken aback. But she didn't deny it.

"What do you want?" Larina asked.

"What do _you_ want?" Sarah asked in reply.

"I know what I want," said a voice from the door. Adianna Vida stood calmly, watching her sister and daughter's argument serenely.

Larina and Sarah spun to face her.

"I want peace." Adianna whispered, "I want the end of bloodshed. I'm sick of it. And I don't care how we get it, but I want peace."

Author's Note: Soooo… how was it? Good, bad, extremely bad? Review and tell me what you think! I love ideas, and even criticism, but no flames please. ;-)


	2. Peace, War, and Armed Truce

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except Larina, and possibly other new characters. I'm just playing around with this awesome world, and hoping that I'm not wrecking it too badly. R&R!**

LARINA:

"Tell me again _why_ you think this is a good idea?" Larina asked in a hushed voice, as they entered a domain in which no witch could comfortably travel through.

"I want peace." Adianna said, firmly.

"And we have to go all the way to the center of the vampire's domain to get it?"

Adianna ignored the question. "Nikolas is expecting us."

Larina snorted in an unladylike fashion. Nikolas expecting them wasn't the thing that most surprised her—after all, if they were on speaking terms with her aunt, then they were practically family to Nikolas, who was Sarah's husband's twin brother.

No, what surprised her most was that the vampires had set up some form of… government—it could only be called that. Just as all witches answered to the head of the Vida line—currently Adianna, all vampires now answered to Nikolas. And Nikolas' second-in-command, Aubrey.

Larina found it laughable that Aubrey was willing to be second-in-command, but Sarah had assured her that Aubrey was more interested in fighting, annoying Risika, and winning Jessica, than being head of all vampires.

Another thing that puzzled her was the order of succession. Unlike the Vida's, whose leadership passed to their heir, the vampire's succession was completely chaotic. For example, although Christopher and Sarah were brother and sister-in-law to Nikolas, they were not powerful. They advised him, but were removed from the power.

Adianna stopped in front of a huge house, upper middle class, with a wrap around porch and gorgeous landscaping. Someone had devoted a lot of time to make the front look amazing.

Stowing away her plant thoughts for other times, Larina concentrated on the purpose at hand. Peace.

Her mother and Sarah had argued all night about it—and Sarah was convinced that there was only one way to peace. Larina hadn't heard it, but she knew that her mother violently opposed it.

Would Nikolas? Or would he agree with Sarah's scheme, whatever it was. Who would make the final decision? Larina's vote was for a different party, altogether. Vampire, witch, whatever—as long as they made a good decision.

Adianna knocked hesitantly at the door, and a human servant opened the door almost immediately. They were let in, led to a comfortable sitting room in the middle of the house (less chance of escape, Larina noticed) and informed that "Master Nikolas" would be right with them.

Adianna patted her gray suit, making sure everything was in place as she glanced at a nearby wall mirror. Adianna disliked mourning colors—and so had both Reline and Vivara. Therefore, Adianna's accessories were a variety of reds, which lessened any mourning-clothes-look she might have possessed.

Larina glanced at her reflection—even compared to most vampires, she was pale. Dressed entirely in black—baggy jeans, a tank top and black sweatshirt—her white skin seemed almost to shine. Her violet eyes seemed huge in her drawn face, and her body was drowned in her too-big clothes. Her long, pale blonde hair was down and slightly wind-blown, un-styled, and barely brushed. She didn't care.

A light tapping on a door announced the arrival of Nikolas. Larina barely controlled her heart rate—she hadn't ever seen Nikolas, and she hadn't expected him to look exactly like Christopher. Even more surprisingly, Nikolas came alone.

He sketched a bow upon entering, and seated himself down on one of the black chairs directly opposite from Adianna and Larina.

"You requested to be allowed into my territory to discuss something privately?" He asked, in a smooth, beguiling, charming voice with a hint of southern accent, so very like Christopher's.

Adianna nodded. There was no unsure, weeping mother here—in this territory, Adianna Vida was all steel. "I want peace." And, her tone added, I will have it. Larina barely held back a smirk at the thought of her mother forcing Nikolas to agree to peace.

Nikolas' lack of shock confirmed what Larina had already known—Sarah had already told Nikolas about the Vida's proposition of peace.

He nodded civilly. "I have heard."

"What have you heard?" Adianna inquired.

"Sarah says that you wish a simple agreement of peace. Sarah wants there to be a connection—that without something to tie us together, peace will never happen. You want an agreement. Sarah wants marriage."

This was a surprise to Larina. "Between?"

"A prominent witch, and a prominent vampire. She didn't say who." As he spoke, Nikolas' eyes flicked over her, taking her in—all of her—her form, her strengths, and her weaknesses. "I assume this is your daughter, Adianna? May we be introduced?"

Adianna nodded. "Nikolas, this is my daughter and heir, Larina Alanna Vida. Larina, this is Nikolas, the ruler of the vampires."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Nikolas said, the corners of his eyes crinkling in what might have been a smile. His eyes caught Larina's, and she barely managed to keep from flinching—her weakness had always been vampire's eyes.

Larina nodded. "And yours." Now they could go back to this annoying business, sign some papers, and then go home.

"Considering the circumstances," Nikolas continued. "I think that peace would be fine. I cannot say that vampires will not feed—we must, you know—nor that witches should stop killing the vampires that run wild—but there must be balance. Vampires shall be choosier about those they feed on, and they will never feed on a witch without permission. Witches shall not hunt vampires without permission, unless they are threatened, those they love are threatened, or the vampire is out of control. Agreed?"

Adianna took a deep breath. She had known the conditions—but, by now, most witches were growing sick of the bloodshed. Too many had died. "Agreed."

"I am uncertain how to bind this agreement," Nikolas continued. "I don't think an agreement is enough, but I'm not sure about marriage. Therefore, I have called in Aubrey, and Caryn, to discuss it among themselves to figure it out. They already know the problem, and have been talking it over."

Nikolas summoned the servant, who went in search of Aubrey and Caryn. They returned in minutes.

"Have you decided?" Nikolas asked.

"Yes," Caryn said, "We both agree that the most lasting affect would be to bind the witches and vampires together. Through marriage, element, and blood bond. That way neither had the advantage."

Adianna nodded, though she looked none too pleased at the thought of a witch marrying a vampire.

"Wait," Larina said, "Vampire blood will kill a witch if she is blood-bonded to them. Their bloods fight, and soon the witch dies."

Caryn nodded. "We have taken that into consideration. The witch must be connected to vampires. We have gone through the lists—and there are very few witches with a connection to vampires great enough that the blood bonding will not harm them. The one most prominent, by far, is you, Larina."

"What!" Larina and Adianna yelled in unison.

"You have agreed, we have decided. In a week, Larina will marry the vampire of Aubrey's choice. He decided that the Vida's heir should be given to someone of appropriate power—Nikolas."

Ignoring Nikolas' outburst of 'what!', Caryn and Aubrey intoned, "In one week, the houses of witches and vampires will be forever tied. Married, elemented, and blood bonded, Nikolas Ravena and Larina Alanna Vida will be forever tied."

Author's Note: Review please!


	3. Bonded

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Larina and the plot. The rest belongs to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, who is a genius.**

LARINA:

Larina was still in a state of shock. It was half a week, and many preparations later, and she was still trying to convince herself that Caryn and Aubrey had been joking. Apparently, they had not been.

Even Adianna was caught up in the preparations for the wedding. Despite the circumstances, and her extreme dislike of vampires in general, and her hate of Nikolas, Adianna's only daughter was getting married, so Adianna threw herself whole-heartedly into the preparations.

Larina, however, was not jazzed about the marriage—when she finally realized that there was nothing she could do to prevent it from taking place.

Forget love—Larina couldn't even tolerate her husband-to-be. He was a vampire—and if that wasn't enough, he was unduly cruel, had no scruples, annoying, and, most of all, he frightened her. Larina couldn't remember being as frightened in her entire life of fighting vampires, as she had been the second Nikolas looked at her. She couldn't even look into his eyes without flinching away. There was no getting around it—Vida or no Vida, she was not brave. She was not her mother and she was not her sisters. She couldn't do this.

So why was she now standing in an uncomfortable gown, being married, elemented, and blood bonded to a man she couldn't stand?

The dress was uncomfortable enough, and, despite all of Larina's protests, it was white. Larina had stated that, bride or not, she was in mourning, but Adianna said that no bride could be married in black, and that was that.

The gown was a startling snow-white, with a sweetheart neckline, simplistic in its beauty. Delicate flower designs were sown into the bodice, and a simple veil covered Larina's hair. Although the gown was a shocking white, it appeared cream before the ivory of her pale, extremely frightened face.

Only Larina and Nikolas' closest friends attended. No one was really sure how the ceremony would go. Both Larina and Nikolas knew that they would have to keep up a facade of love once married. For vampires, marriage was rare—so it was always sacred, and the couple was always deeply in love. For witches, it was much the same.

First came the easy part—the actual marriage ceremony. The only hard part of this was the kissing.

Her face blank, and she seemed in a trance. She was awoken at the feel of someone's—Nikolas'—hand cupping her cheek and turning her face towards him. Her breath caught and she lowered her eyes, so as to not have to look into the deep deadness that threatened to overwhelm her.

His lips grazed her own, and she was reeling. No human's kiss had ever affected her so deeply. Her knees felt watery, and she struggled to stand. His lips were back, kissing her properly now, covering her own lips tenderly, gently. Before the kiss went too far, he pulled back. Still reeling, Larina managed to stay upright.

Next was the elemental part—it was really rather simple. Element was the interweaving of minds—designed specially, in this case, to give Larina the advantage—Nikolas would never be able to use the blood bond to control her. He would have other advantages, but, even with the blood bond in place, he wouldn't be able to control her as he would other blood-bonded humans.

It was this blood bonding that she really feared. She held perfectly still as Nikolas' fangs pierced the side of her neck. No vampire had ever fed off of Larina before, and it made her very nervous… until the painful pleasure arrived, fading out all other feelings.

Nikolas drew back, Larina stumbled, and Nikolas caught her gracefully. Pushing herself to her own feet, Larina drew back. Nikolas made a small cut on the side of his own neck. Blood welled in a pool there…

Weak from blood loss, and tempted by the blood being shown to her, Larina swayed gently. Nikolas touched his own blood to his finger and spread it over her lips. (A/N: Hee, hee)

Larina closed her eyes and tried to hold back the sound of despair that welled inside of her. She couldn't do this; it was too much. The sound broke free, the cry of despair and fear ringing through the air.

Nikolas pulled her closer. Larina could smell the blood…so tempting…closing her eyes, Larina made a small sound of resigned despair as she gave into temptation. The blood flowed through her, bittersweet. It was like breathing for the first time.

Before she could enjoy herself too much, Larina shoved herself away. Her skin was even paler than usual, except for the pink flush that stained her cheeks as silent tears poured from her eyes.

Adianna, Aubrey, Christopher, Sarah, and Caryn escorted the silent couple home.

Once at her new 'home', Larina dashed upstairs to the bathroom, pulled on her normal clothes, washed her face, and sat down on the edge of the bathtub, waiting for the tears to end.

An hour later, Larina walked down the stairs. Everyone was still there, waiting for her. Seeing her face, Christopher, Sarah, Aubrey, and Caryn said their congratulations, and left quickly after. Adianna hung around awhile, but she too soon departed.

"I'm sorry, Larina," Adianna whispered as she embraced her daughter.

"How was I chosen, Mother? How am I connected to the vampires?"

Adianna sighed. "When Sarah was dying, I tried to save her. I didn't want her to become a vampire, so I tried to take the vampire blood from her, regardless of what it might do to me. Once before, that situation had happened, and the vampire blood had been passed down generations. I suppose, that's what happened to you." Adianna looked sad.

"Did Reline and Vivara have it, too?" Larina asked.

Adianna shook her head. "I don't know why or how, but they didn't." Giving her daughter another hug, Adianna left the house. Larina could feel her presence fade from view.

There were several minutes of silence. Nikolas lounged on a black couch, appearing perfectly at ease, and sinisterly handsome. Larina stood straight as a rod, her back to a wall, her eyes darting between Nikolas, the door, and the windows—her enemy/husband, and her escape route.

_You think you'd get very far? _There was no mistaking that quietly deadly, seductive voice, with a hint of southern charm.

_Get out of my head!_

He laughed softly.

_Just because you're married_ _to me gives you no excuse for being rude._

_You could look, if you wanted to. _Whatever Larina had expected as a response, this was not it.

_What?_

_You could see into minds, if you wanted to._

Disgusted, Larina wheeled around, to stalk out of the room, before realizing that she had nowhere to stalk to. "Umm… where's my bedroom?"

"Your bedroom?" Nikolas asked, stretching lazily. The position of his body drew his tight black shirt across his chest, outlining his magnificent torso. "_Our_ bedroom, dearest wife, is up the stairs and to the left."

"_Our_…? Our…. bedroom?" Larina whispered.

"Of course our bedroom, _wife_," Nikolas said, his voice amused. Larina couldn't bring herself to look at his face. "Did you think that we'd sleep in different rooms? We're married, remember."

_As if I could forget._ Larina couldn't move. She couldn't look at him. The man she was tied to for the rest of her life, and she couldn't even look at him. She sensed rather than saw him step forward and she flinched back.

She could immediately sense his anger. Flinching had been a bad move. She knew that any predator took retreat as a sign of weakness, and would dive in for the kill. She couldn't be the prey. She _wouldn't_ be the prey.

Standing up straight, Larina looked Nikolas straight in the eyes. Bad move. His soulless eyes flashed in anger, and… something else? He was moving closer, those terrible eyes still locked with hers. Larina couldn't breathe… he was coming closer…

Suddenly, there were scant inches in between them. Larina still couldn't tear her gaze away from his.

Without looking away from her, Nikolas lowered his mouth to hers. Larina felt her body respond automatically. Her knees went wobbly and her breath caught in her throat. She could feel his tongue request entrance to her mouth and she could do nothing to stop him. Nikolas seemed to sense her knees buckling, because he slid his arms around her and held her tight to him.

She had to move… had to…

Larina tore her mouth away, practically shoving herself into a wall. Her breath came hard, and she couldn't stand straight. Avoiding Nikolas' eyes, she whispered,

"I'll go prepare for bed, then," before dashing from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

Thankfully for Larina, Nikolas did not come to bed until very late that night. She could feel the bed creak slightly as he lay down, felt his arms slide around her, pulling her close. Her body tensed immediately, but after nothing happened, she slowly relaxed into an uneasy sleep.


	4. Announcements

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, so don't sue. Please.**

Larina examined the crystal goblet filled with what was either blood, or a very red alcoholic drink, and considered drowning herself in it.

No one was around. Nikolas probably wouldn't notice until late that night—when the party was over, and she was expected in his bedchambers. She shuddered. The man was intolerable. And he seemed to _enjoy_ goading her… and attempting to… well… she really didn't want to think about it. She knew it would take Nikolas no more than sheer physical strength to bring her down and let him have his way with her. She shuddered again. He was _toying_ with her.

Larina studied the goblet again. She wouldn't be missed. Yes, it was a party for her and Nikolas… but no one would care if 'that witch-girl' wasn't around. Or, for that matter, if 'that witch-girl' disappeared forever.

At least she had been able to sneak away from the 'festivities'. That in itself was a rarity. Now that she was gone, it was doubtful that she'd be missed for a few hours.

The door behind her swung open on its hinges, the lock entirely broken and useless. Nikolas stood in the doorway, looking… annoyed?

Annoyed, enraged, angry…. it all came down to one thing. Trouble.

_I guess I spoke too soon. _Larina suppressed a smirk.

"What's so funny?" His voice was filled with suppressed anger. Bad sign.

Larina jumped slightly, her eyes coming up to meet his and flinching away again. Even after being around Nikolas 24/7 for the past week, she couldn't bring herself to look her husband in the eyes. They were so… dead.

Even the most boring or unfeeling person in the world had some feeling in their eyes. Even if it was only the icy coldness of hate or insanity.

Nikolas' eyes had nothing. No feeling. No hate, no love, no anger. Nothing. Even Sarah or Christopher's eyes held _something._ They were vampires, they appeared to…. feel? That wasn't quite right. But it was something. Apparently, whatever they had, Nikolas didn't.

He moved suddenly. He was right in front of her. "I thought I made it clear that I wanted you to socialize at this party. After all, it is for us."

Larina didn't answer. What had she to say?

His anger faded abruptly. "You're supposed to be deeply in love with me. As in, you can't resist me." His voice had a definite teasing edge to it now. "Not 'I'm-so-scared-I-can't-even-look-at-you'."

Larina fell for the bait. She raised her head and glared.

"Very nice." Nikolas said conversationally, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Now come along. I suppose you don't have to mingle, you could just stand with me and smile pretty."

"Get. Your. Hands. Off me." Larina's voice was perfectly controlled, but there was no mistaking the threat in the words.

Nikolas did not press the subject. "You do know that the vampires expect some sort of mutual attraction, or this peace is null and void."

Yes, she knew it. That's why she hadn't run away, or drowned herself in that goblet of stuff. That, and the goblet was much too small to drown herself in, anyways.

Nikolas offered his arm. Larina glared at the proffered arm distrustfully.

Nikolas gave a slight smile. "Don't worry. I'm not going to bite."

Larina flinched slightly and looked as if she wished to pull back, but she didn't move. Larina took the arm.

"Very good," Nikolas said, and led her from the room.

The house was jam-packed with people. Correction: not people, vampires. The room quieted as Larina stepped into sight. She smiled thinly, and moved closer to Nikolas. He glanced down at her, and smiled ruefully.

_The only way you'll stand close to me is if hundreds of unfamiliar vampires are looking at you? _His voice whispered across her mind, and it was all Larina could do not to kick him where it hurt.

She stood up straighter, and laid her head on his chest, smiling up at him. _Why do you say that? Can't you tell how in love I am with you?_

He stifled a laugh. One of his hands was around her waist, and he used the other to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

_Do you_ have_ to touch me? Can't we say I'm… allergic to the touch of a vamp?_

_Not likely. How would I boast of my manhood then? _Larina's eyes widened, as she realized what he was talking about.

_You wouldn't… we haven't… you… I…_

Nikolas smirked, and left her stuttering. His hand still firmly attached to her waist, he turned towards the gathering crowd of vampires.

"I thank you all for coming," he said, with a smile. "And, although my wife here seems totally petrified, I'm sure she thanks you, too."

The crowd laughed. Larina glared, before remembering that she loved him, and plastered a fake smile on her lips.

"This is the beginning of a new time," Nikolas continued, "a time when witches and vampires may coexist, in, if not harmony, then at least an armed-truce.

"I'm sure most of you have already heard the news. With my marriage to the lovely Larina Alanna Vida here, has come a peace with the witches. Any vampire who threatens the witches will answer to me."

"What about the witches?" A squinty-eyed vampire demanded. "If we can't hunt them, and we have to be choosier, what are they doing?"

Nikolas opened his mouth to reply, but the crowd continued. "Why do we need to cooperate with the witches?"

"What's wrong with the way things were?"

Nikolas glared, and the crowd settled down. "The witches—" He began.

"The witches will keep their end of the agreement," Larina said, her tone pleasant, but laced with cold steel. No one would mistake her for a trophy wife after that speech.

"The witches are through with vampire-hunting," Larina announced, drawing herself upright.

For perhaps the first time, a crowd of vampires felt a distinct feeling of fear looking at a lone witch. Larina stood straight and high, her face paler than the vampire's own. It was distinctly unsettling to see a human being with that pale a face. Her pale violet eyes were filled with annoyance. Her mouth settled into a small smirk, daring the crowd to disagree with her. She threw back her long blonde hair and continued.

"The witches are through with vampire-hunting." Larina repeated, driving the message home. Her tone conveyed that she thought them idiots if they didn't believe her. "There are exceptions to this rule, just as there are exceptions to your rule. For instance, you are allowed to hunt humans, as long as you don't harm the witches. You are allowed to hunt a witch if the said witch has killed a vampire against regulation—IF Nikolas has agreed to it.

"The witches, in turn, are allowed to kill any vampire to defend herself, her loved ones, and her kind. The witches are also allowed to hunt down any rogue vampires."

Satisfied that the message had been driven home, Larina stepped back into Nikolas' arms and gave a blinding smile. "Now, if we're done arguing, could we get on with the party?"

The crowd cheered, rather half-heartedly. No one disagreed that they should continue partying. However, many still reserved doubts. As in, why had Nikolas, who had always preferred girls who were submissive, pretty, and silent, chosen a _witch_, who, though pretty, was outspoken and unafraid of fighting for what she wanted. And why a witch?

"Did you enjoy yelling at my subjects?" Nikolas asked quietly, as they mingled with the crowd.

"Yelling? I wasn't yelling."

"Yes, you were." Nikolas smiled. "Don't worry, though. I don't think any of them noticed. They were too surprised that you were daring to speak."

Larina snorted. "Of course I'm going to talk. I'm not some trophy wife, to sit on your shelf and do whatever you want." She glared at Nikolas, as if to prove her point, but quickly lowered her gaze as her eyes settled on that eerie blackness. Gods, when would she get used to his eyes?

The crowd jostled her, and yells reached her ears. "What..?"

Nikolas tensed. "Wait here." And he began running through the crowd.

"I will not!" Larina muttered, and followed quickly. The sounds of fighting was growing louder and louder. It looked as if about half the party was involved.

"We will not have a witch married to our leader!" A vampire screamed from the heat of the frey. Larina shivered.

"He chose her! The agreement is permanent! You can do nothing but accept it!" Someone else yelled.

"Stop." Nikolas' voice was low, but powerful. All activity was halted. "What is going on here?"

The squinty-eyed vampire from earlier spoke up. "Begging your pardon," He sneered in Larina's direction, "We refuse to follow the rule of one who has married a witch."

Nikolas' eyes narrowed. "Would you care to repeat that?"

The vampire laughed. "You heard me," he sneered. "We're leaving. We won't follow your stupid agreement." And he left, a huge crowd following. Approximately half the vampires.

"So this is war, is it?" Nikolas said, talking to himself. "Well, if they want war, I shall give them war."

**Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! Review please!**


	5. An Almost Ending

3

Chapter Five 

**An Almost Ending**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Larina… everything else belongs to the wonderful Amelia Atwater-Rhodes…. all hail AAR!!!!!!!!

**Author's Note: Yay! I update… and hopefully more, as it is now Christmas Break…. so R&R… I hope you all like this one better than the last one (I didn't like the last one much either, except perhaps the drowning-in-goblet, and the manhood boasting thing…. lol) So yeah. On with the story!**

Larina smiled sleepily, as she felt her body leaving the realms of dreams, and entering the world of reality.

Any human waking up would have thought that next morning a perfectly normal morning. Sunny blue skies sprinkled with clouds, and a light wind blowing from the north.

But Larina was not a human. And neither was her vampiric husband, Nikolas. And both knew that despite the perfect warm weather, the first in weeks, the frigidness would soon follow. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather.

Therefore, her sleepy smile soon disappeared as she set her gaze on her husband, who was up and dressed, and pacing about the room agitatedly.

She rubbed her eyes, and opened them again to see Nikolas' dead gaze. Jerking her head to escape the bleakness of his lifeless eyes, she nearly toppled out the bed.

She frowned. She felt extremely thirsty—bizarrely so.

Larina reached for a glass of water, and calmly drained the glass, ignoring Nikolas' gaze on her face. Only when the water glass was empty and she had sat for a moment, savoring the absence of thirst, did she prepare to leave the bed.

She swung her legs out of bed and stood up. She swayed on her feet. She felt decidedly dizzy and oddly weak.

For perhaps the first time, Larina was thankful for her husband's sharp gaze and quick mind. He strode across the room in a single bound and scooped her up into his arms just as her knees gave way.

Larina gasped in a breath. Her chest felt constricted, as if something were squeezing in on her lungs. It wasn't Nikolas—his grip around her was gentle. What….?

NIKOLAS:

Everything happened in an instant.

Her body went limp in his arms, her head lolling back. Only her eyes remained active, although she looked quite dizzy—her eyes widened in panic as she attempted and failed to draw in a breath.

Her eyes met his in a moment of absolute terror, and she immediately flinched back—or tried as much as her still body would allow. Her eyes closed, and her head went limp as well.

If Nikolas had had a heart, it would have paused in beating right then. She couldn't die on him! If this peace was to work, she had to be alive—and if she was killed, the witches would retaliate. Despite common belief, Nikolas wanted peace as much as Adianna.

He shifted into the first place he could think of—Caryn's house.

She answered the door before he'd even began to pound on it.

"Nikolas, what have we here? I swear, you vampires seem to hurt the ones you love more…" Her voice trailed off as she stared in shocked disbelief at the still body in his arms. "That's Larina. How… what?"

"I don't know." He honestly did not. One moment she was fine, then she'd drank the flaming water and stopped breathing…. The water? She'd… drank the water.

"She just stopped breathing. She drank some water… I think someone poisoned her." Caryn stared at him in shock. "Don't just stand there, woman! Do something… save her!"

Caryn rushed them into the house, looking from him to Larina as she ran. "I don't know if I can," she said sadly, as she laid Larina down on the bed. "But I will try."

**Author's Note: So… what did you think? Better? Less Mary Sue happenings, I hope… ;-) Sorry it's so short!**


	6. I'm Not Your Enemy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Larina. The rest is the product of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and I do not claim credit for it.**

**Author's Note: Please don't hate me :(... I'll try to be better about updating...:) I hope you enjoy... :) **

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**This one is dedicted to Pandora-69... because without whom, there wouldn't have been another chapter. :) (Well, at least not now...)  
**

_Boom, boom, boom. _The relentless pounding refused to let up, dragging her from the sleepy depths. She could have sworn she'd spent the last hours imprisoned in a gigantic… _well_… drifting slowly from the bottom to the top and back again.

_Boom, boom, boom_. Larina squirmed slightly, attempting to escape the pounding in her head.

"She moved!" _I know that voice, _Larina thought, _that's Caryn. But what's Caryn doing here? Where is here?_

Larina struggled to open her eyes, but it felt as if her long lashes were entwined together—as if she'd applied too much mascara, and shut her eyes tightly.

"She's coming around."

The sunlight blazed into Larina's eyes, making her blink as her eyes watered. She attempted to sit up, but quickly ceased as she noticed amplification of the pounding in her head.

"Where—where am I?" Larina croaked—her throat was extremely dry.

"At my house," Caryn answered, coming into Larina's limited view. "I'm going to go get you some food."

Larina frowned slightly, her mind not really on what Caryn was saying. The last thing she remembered was that declaration of war.

Larina glanced up, a question in her eyes.

Nikolas nodded. "The War," he said.

Larina drew in a sharp breath. "But how…?"

"We think you were poisoned," Nikolas' voice was tight. "That's the only solution I can come up with. One moment you were fine, then you drank the water, and keeled over."

Larina reacted without thinking. He was a vampire. Enemy. He had seen her weak. For that, he must die.

Larina blinked.

She was half-sitting, one of her around Nikolas' throat, not to strangle, but to control. The other hand was already in possession of a long, thin, deadly knife.

"… some bread and some broth, and—Larina!"

Caryn set down the tray with a small crack, and rounded the bed in a record amount of time.

_Put the knife down, Larina_. Her husband's voice in her mind was deadly soft—a threat.

"Larina, let go of him!" It was Caryn, and she was furious. "What were you thinking? We're trying to achieve peace… you can't attempt to murder your husband, no matter how stupid he's being. I assure you, they're all like that. Besides, you aren't nearly strong enough yet to be up and about."

As soon as Caryn said the words, Larina felt the energy leave her in a huge swoop. She sagged against the bed, her eyes closing, the knife falling back among the covers.

Hands pushed her back down, restraining her, lest she attempt to kill Nikolas again. She struggled, slightly, not wanting to be at a disadvantage should he attempt to retaliate.

The thought immediately occurred to her, that even had she been unrestrained, if he decided to retaliate, there wasn't much she could do to stop him. She stopped struggling, immediately.

_Fatalistic, much?_ His thought was full of anger, but also irony, and she knew that he'd heard her last thought.

_Practical._

The grip of the hands lessened, to be replaced by a weight on her knees and she opened her eyes a small crack. Caryn had set the tray of food down on her.

"Eat," she ordered, "and tell me _what_ you thought you were doing!"

The anger was apparent in her voice, and Larina shivered; she'd never heard Caryn so angry before. She glanced away, and her eyes collided with Nikolas'. They were angry, as well, the heat inside them blazing up from the depths of frigid nothingness. And while Larina was glad to at least see some humanity, if it could be called such, inside him, she almost felt that icy nothing was better than the anger and hate that radiated from him.

She dropped her eyes, afraid, and found a small, red line apparent on his throat, where she'd marked him with her knife.

"… when the peace is so very fragile, and war is so—"

"I'm sorry." The words were so tiny, so softly spoken, that had either in the room been human, they wouldn't have heard it. But neither was human.

Silence.

"I didn't think." Larina turned her head, pushing her face into the blankets, aware as she did so, that she was exposing her neck to Nikolas; a gesture of subservience and vulnerability. And she knew that he knew it, too.

There was an intake of breath, and a warm hand rested on her neck, attempting to pull her face back around. She knew without looking that it was Nikolas, and that he had already fed tonight.

She refused to budge, pushing her face deeper into the blankets.

"Why, Larina?" His voice was soft, empty.

"My training."

She could almost feel the question radiating off of him, and tried to ignore it. Caryn came to her rescue.

"You saw her vulnerable; weak. She's been trained since before she could walk that an enemy who saw her weak must be eliminated."

Silence rained supreme. There was a shifting on the bed, and Caryn stood up, removing the tray. "I'm taking this back downstairs. It's cold now, anyway."

"I'm not your enemy, Larina."

She barely turned, just enough to see a sliver of his face, but not enough to see his eyes. She wasn't ready for that.

"Maybe," she said softly, "but you aren't on my side, either. You aren't an ally, or a friend. Right now, we're at an armed truce. We don't attack, but we aren't friends. We're still enemies, hiding what we really think of another."

**Author's Note: Did you like it? Did you hate it? Please tell me what you think!!! (No flames please, but you all know that ;)**


	7. Betting on the Water

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Larina. The rest is the product of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and I do not claim credit for it.**

**Author's Note: I will try to update more frequently…. Just… remind me, will you? I get busy and forget to ******** I'm sorry! Enjoy ******** And, as always, let me know what you think!**

**RECAP:**

"I'm not your enemy, Larina."

She barely turned, just enough to see a sliver of his face, but not enough to see his eyes. She wasn't ready for that.

"Maybe," she said softly, "but you aren't on my side, either. You aren't an ally, or a friend. Right now, we're at an armed truce. We don't attack, but we aren't friends. We're still enemies, hiding what we really think of another."

He sighed, a surprisingly human gesture for someone so powerful. He ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed again.

"Go to sleep, Larina. I'll be back shortly." And with that, he strode towards the door.

If Larina had watched closely, she would have noted the flash of hurt in his eyes. And if Nikolas had glanced back, he would have seen the regret in her's. But neither noticed, and the moment that could have bonded the two together forced only served to widen the chasm between them.

**NIKOLAS:**

Nikolas paused outside of the door, and gave another uncharacteristic sigh. What was he supposed to do with this…. this… _girl_. There was really no way to describe her.

About half the time she was mature, dominant, and often standoffish. Then there were those times when she was weak, shy, demure, and quite positively submissive. She was half-witch, and half-child. Incredibly intelligent, caring, and powerful by her own right, Larina lacked any kind of self-confidence… at least when it came to him.

He had seen her stand in front of a roomful of vampires and stare them down without fear. He'd seen her sacrifice her future for the possibility of peace. And in the same breath, she'd cowered from him. She'd turned away from him.

He cursed, and his image evaporated from the scenery as he reappeared in a distant forest, far away. They were so mis-matched—it was impossible. How were they to maintain the façade of a charming and in-love couple when she couldn't even look him in the eye?

Nikolas was no fool. He knew without a doubt that their façade was one of the few things that kept a part—of his precious few—loyal vampires on his side. Without it, there was no way for the fragile peace to continue. Even with it, there were no certainties. For example, how long could they stay on the same level? If they appeared simply infatuated in each other, could the peace still hold?

It wasn't really something Nikolas wanted to contemplate.

He stopped, a few paces short of a large tree. It seemed slightly out-of-place, and Nikolas grinned. He'd come to the right place.

**LARINA:**

Despite the part of her that felt the need to follow her husband's wishes, Larina quickly dismissed any thought of sleep from her mind. After a few fruitless attempts, she knew sleep was an impossibility, and, ignoring the pangs of guilt, turned her mind to other matters.

Her husband, for instance.

What was it about the dratted man that was so… frustrating. Larina mentally rolled her eyes. If this had been a story-book romance, no doubt she would also find her husband exceptionally attractive, and be planning to jump his bones, or some such nonsense.

But this wasn't a story-book romance… it was Larina's life. And her husband absolutely and positively frustrated her. It wasn't the frustration of pent-up desire, or attraction, or even infatuation. It was just frustration at the lack of communication.

They could no more look each other in the eye than Larina could walk on water.

In fact, Larina was betting on the water.

She sighed. She knew that the war was partially her fault, for appearing so aggressive and no-nonsense. That her regal stance and hard words had forced the situation out of control. But she also knew that she had simply set into motion events that were already in place.

Another sigh escaped her.

What was needed more than anything was for something, anything, to bridge the gap between her husband and herself. But what? What could bring about such a miracle?

Or who?

Smiling to herself, Larina slipped out of bed. She still felt slightly disoriented and dizzy, but she now had something to focus on—something of far more importance. She pulled on some clothing, and slipped silently from Caryn's home. With any luck, she'd be back before she was missed.

**NIKOLAS:**

"I must admit, Nikolas, it is certainly a surprise to see you here," Christopher acknowledged with a slight smirk.

Nikolas grinned, but it quickly faded as he remembered the reason he was here.

"Ah," Christopher said, correctly interpreting his Nikolas' look of misgiving. "You need help? Some guidance or advice, perhaps?"

"Drat you," Nikolas muttered, plopping into a chair without the least bit of elegance. "Yes, I need your help. Or rather, your advice and support. Where's Sarah?"

"She has a guest. She'll be here soon; the guest was on her way out. Now, what can I do?" Chrisotpher said immediately.

"It's the war. I'm sure you've heard about it—news like this tends to spread like wildfire." Nikolas paused, and continued when he got a nod of understanding from his brother. "My marriage is the only thing keeping this from going from bad to worse. If Larina and and I cannot maintain an 'in-love' façade around the vampires, I will lose what little support I have, and the peace with the witches will be shattered forever."

Christopher nodded. "I agree. But if you know all this, what do you need me for?"

"I _know_ what I need to do. But I don't know _how_ to do it. This problem with the rogue vampires isn't a new one—all I've done is given them a reason to revolt. I've seen it coming for a while now, but I didn't count on needing to step around Larina and the witches in the middle of the civil war, damn it!" Nikolas ran his fingers through his hair. "I need to pull my marriage together, and mend the bridge. I'm going to need the witches support, or this war will drag on forever."

Christopher nodded. "Again, what do you need me for?"

There was a pause. "I never thought I'd say this…. but I need…" Nikolas glanced around, and whispered into Christopher's ear.

Christopher nodded, a thoughtful look on his face, "I think I know what to do."

**LARINA:**

The place was just as Larina had heard it described. Quickly, she paced through the sand, finding the triangle of palm trees. She followed the direction they pointed, until she came to a larger palm tree, huge and hollow. She knocked, and the door quickly swung open.

"Larina!" A friendly female voice called, "what a surprise to see you here!"


End file.
